Under the Stars
by fmfg
Summary: Brianna has been in love with Blaise Zabini since they were at Hogwarts. What happens they are forced to work together?


**This fic is based on random conversations with a friend and is dedicated to her, and I hope you enjoy!**

**Brianna's point of view:**

I took a deep breath as I looked over our assignment while Blaise leaned casually against the door frame. I tried to focus on the words, but I felt distracted and pathetic. I didn't understand why I still had these feelings for a man that never talked to me, who had nothing in common with me, and, as far as I know, didn't even know I exist. Anytime I thought about him, though, my heart would speed up, I couldn't focus, and my palms would become sweaty. I hated that he always caused me to have this reaction.

I had first fallen for Blaise Zabini while we were at Hogwarts. I observed how he acted while the Carrows were running the school; he didn't follow their lead and often helped others. I didn't dare act on my feelings though. He was a Slytherin who wouldn't notice a dorky Hufflepuff like me. I was sure this was a schoolgirl crush that would go away with time.

In the two years after Hogwarts, I went through a Ministry program, earning a degree in medical research. After graduating, I got a job through an independent research company. There I learned my teenage crush was working there too.

Blaise started work at the same company two weeks before I did. I hadn't expected that, and when I saw him for the first time after two years my heart caught in my throat. I had forgotten how handsome he was. I loved his tall build, his broad shoulders, and how his long, muscular legs looked in Muggle clothes. I hated myself for being drawn to him. These were simple schoolgirl feelings, and they would go away.

That didn't seem to be the case. As time went on, my schoolgirl feelings started to change into something else. I admired his hard work and how smart he was. I hated myself for being drawn to him further. We didn't even know each other, and he had this effect on me. Then I was forced to work on a project with him. This project could take several weeks to months, which meant spending a lot of time with him. I groaned inwardly. This was the last thing I needed. Every time I promised myself that I would move on from my wretched feelings, life caused me to fall for him all over again.

I pushed these thoughts out of my mind and focused on reading our instructions thoroughly. After I finished reading the report, I shuddered at the size of my project. I knew it meant long days at work, something mind, being a Hufflepuff and all. I glanced at Blaise while my mind ran through the books I could use.

"We had better get reading," I said quietly.

"I'm going to go through the stuff I have in my office," Blaise replied, and I looked up at him. "We'll have to visit the library though."

I loved our library. It was in the basement; a large room with hundreds of books. It was such an expansive collection of books, that the room was expanded by magic.

"I was thinking the same," I replied.

"I'll go down with you in half an hour?"

I nodded and took a deep breath as I watched him walk out of my tiny office. I pulled out every book I had on potions to strengthen spinal injuries, which, I only had two. I looked at my clock to see half an hour had passed. I leaned back in my chair, moving the book to my lap: It would be a long night. I jumped when I heard a knock on my door.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you," Blaise said from the doorway.

"It's alright," I said, giving him a sheepish, embarrassed smile.

With flushed cheeks, I followed him out of the office and down to our library. We searched the countless shelves in silence and place the books we thought would be useful on a table to look at later. I love this library, except for the fact that I was too short to reach the top shelves, and the magic in the room prevented us from summoning the books. I stood on my toes and nearly reached my book when a large hand went over my head and pulled the book out. I looked at Blaise before dropping my eyes to the book in his hand. He was standing so close that I could feel the heat from his body.

"Thanks," I whispered, blushing.

"You're welcome," he said in his deep voice.

We settled at the table soon after that. We made slow progress, but I hoped we'd found plenty of information that would prove to be useful later on. When we finished for the night, we set the books aside for the next day. I rolled my shoulders that were stiff from the hunched over position that I'd been sitting in all day. When I got home, I couldn't help but think about Blaise. I opened the front door and walked into my flat.

"Did you have an encounter with lover boy today?" my flatemate's voice asked me, breaking into my thoughts.

"No," I said, shooting her a glare as I toed off my shoes.

"You do have a big goofy grin on your face," she said. "Something must've happened."

"Nothing happened" I said rolling my eyes.

"Mmhmm." She gave me a grin that told me that she didn't believe me.

"Fine." I looked up at her. "Our boss gave us a project to work on together, and it may take weeks if not months."

"Oh my gosh," she said, clutching my arm. "You have to make a move."

"Rayne," I said admonishingly, and groaned. "I'm not going to make a fool of myself."

"Oh come on," she replied as I brushed past her and went into our small kitchen. "What do you have to lose?"

"I just wouldn't be able to take it if he rejected me."

"You never know."

I shook my head at her, but luckily she changed the subject and talked about work. I pulled out leftovers from last night's dinner as I nodded as I listened to Rayne complain about work.

Several days flew by, and our days were spent in the library taking many notes. I felt as if I was writing my own book with amount of notes I was taking. One day, I was so engrossed in my reading and note taking; I hadn't even noticed that Blaise had left for lunch until he put a white paper bag on the table.

"You missed lunch," he said casually.

I blinked at him, not understanding what he was saying.

"You missed lunch," he repeated. "So I brought you some."

My mouth dropped open slightly and I closed it quickly.

"I … Thank you," I said, and he nodded before sitting down across from me.

I put my quill down and rolled my shoulders from the cramped position I had been sitting in. Blaise pushed the bag towards me, and I smiled at him gratefully. I hadn't realized how hungry I was, and I pulled the bad towards me. Inside was a ham sandwich, and apple, and a bottle of water.

"How did you know …" I started.

"You order the same meal every day. That is, when you stop working long enough to eat."

I could feel my cheeks red. He noticed these things about me. I didn't know what to think. Was he picking up these things because he was interested or just being nice? I felt a bubble of hope spring up in me, but I pushed it aside. I didn't want to get my hopes up just to have my feelings hurt later on.

"Thank you," I said looking at him sheepishly.

"You're welcome," he said quietly.

I slowly ate my lunch. I enjoyed my break while Blaise got back to work. I tried not to watch him while he worked. I couldn't help but notice the way his eyebrows pulled together when he took notes. He leaned over the table while leaning on his elbows. The pencil looked tiny in his large hand. I wondered how it would feel to have him hold my hand. He was so gorgeous. I forced myself to look away. That image of him was burned in my brain. I found myself, once again, thinking of him when I walked into my flat.

Once again, my thoughts were broken into by my flatmate.

"You'll never guess who asked me out on a date," she said, tossing her hair over her shoulder.

"Who?" I asked, but I had a shrewd idea.

Rayne had been talking about him for months and would mention him any time he came to shop in her robes shop.

"Draco Malfoy," she said, smiling at me.

I smiled back; she had been sweet on him for months.

"What happened?" I asked as I took my cloak off.

Rayne launched into her story, and I couldn't help but smile throughout her narration. I felt so happy for her.

"We're going out tomorrow," she said. "He's taking me out to dinner."

"I'm sure it will be great." I smiled and gave my friend's hand a squeeze.

I felt a little envious of her luck. She had feelings for Draco for ages. He had been coming into the shop she worked in at least once a week to talk with Rayne. Now they were going on a date. I would kill for that luck with Blaise, even though I knew it was foolish to keep hoping for it. He would never date me.

"So, enough about me," she said. "Did anything happen with you today?"

"Not really," I said, but I smiled when I remembered. "Well … he did bring me lunch."

"He did?"

"Yeah, I was working through lunch again …" I started.

"Stupid Hufflepuff trait," Rayne said.

"You say it like it's a bad thing." I pretended to be offended.

"Of course not," she said. "Although, it's not as good as being a Slytherin."

"If you say so."

"So what happened next?" she prompted.

"When I was working he brought me lunch. He knew what I liked and everything."

"I bet he likes you," Rayne said bumping my knee with hers.

"I doubt it," I said, rolling my eyes.

"Men notice you more than you give yourself credit for."

I didn't say anything back. Despite my protest, Rayne was always saying how pretty I was and that men noticed me. It sure didn't feel that way, and my dating record sure didn't support that idea. I looked down at my lap while these thoughts ran through my head. Things had been different for Rayne than me. She was pretty, outgoing, and was often noticed. I was more of a wallflower who liked to work hard on things I was passionate about.

Those differences brought us together. We balanced each other out and I was glad that I had her friendship.

**Blaise's point of view:**

_Finally. The weekend is here,_ I thought as I made my way to the Leaky Cauldron for a drink. Usually I would meet Draco Malfoy, but he was taking some girl out tonight. I pushed open the door to the shop. Sitting at the bar, I quickly ordered firewiskey. When it arrived, I drank it quickly. I felt the liquid run down my throat, burning on its way. I hoped it would help me forget and stop me from thinking of her for a little while. Brianna. Her name constantly ran through my mind over these last two years ever since we started working together.

I didn't remember her from Hogwarts, but I clearly remembered her first day at work. She was modest in the brown skirt and white jumper under open robes, which showed off her curves without being provocative. Her long, brown hair hung down her back in waves. I wanted to run my fingers through them. When I looked at her eyes I couldn't help but get lost in the dark blue depths.

From day one she held my interest, and I watched her closely. She worked hard and had a passion for medical research. Over time, I grew to want her. I wanted her more than any other woman I knew. I couldn't pursue her the way I wanted to because she deserved better. She deserved someone who could give her everything. She deserved a good man, something that I was not. I had been with many women over the years. She should be with someone who knew how to be a gentlemen.

I signaled for another firewhiskey when I noticed her. She was sitting in a table in the corner, and a book sat open in front of her. She seemed very engrossed in the book while she twirled a piece of long, brown hair around on her finger. I wondered what her hair felt like for the millionth time.

I watched her for a moment longer before my second fire whiskey was set before me. I tried my best to ignore her. My eyes narrowed as I saw another man eying Brianna as she came out of the bathroom and took her seat at the booth. Jealousy ran through me as I saw him get up from his seat with a determined look. I knew that look, something that I had used in my last years at Hogwarts and up till a year ago. He wanted her too. I couldn't let that happen.

I quickly stood and walked towards her. Luckily, I was closer and reached Brianna first.

"May I sit here?" I asked.

Brianna looked up, startled. She looked surprised but nodded. I sat down feeling smug. I looked at the man that was heading over here. I gave him a smirk as I saw his furious face. Brianna straightened up and looked at me shyly after she had put her book in her bag. I loved that look.

"So what are you doing here on your own on a Friday?" I asked.

"My flatmate is on a date," she said. "Sometimes I'll go out on my own, catch up on my reading."

"I'm surprised you're still not at work," I teased her.

"I have to take a break sometime."

She gave me a timid smile back and I grinned at her. At that moment, a waitress came over and both of us ordered food. When our food came, we ate our food in silence. Our eyes met and she blushed again, which I found endearing. I grinned as I continued eating. We started talking quietly about a few things, mainly work related.

"You don't need to pay for anything," I said when the bill came and she went to reach for her purse.

"I don't mind paying."

"Please, Brianna."

"But I … are you sure?" She bit her lip.

"Of course," I said, smiling at her. "My mum taught me to always pay for a lady's dinner."

She blushed hard and looked down before giving me another shy look. I gave the money to the waitress before we stood to leave.

"May I walk you home?" I asked.

She smiled coyly at me and nodded. A small smile played across my lips as I put my hand on the small of her back as we made our way through the crowd. I felt jolts of electricity running through my hand. When we got outside the crowded bar, I regretfully took my hand off of her back. I wanted to take her hand, but I was sure that would be pushing it too far. I watched her out of the corner of my eye. She looked up at the sky and sighed. She noticed me watching her and blushed while looking down at her feet.

"What are you thinking?" I blurted out.

"I just wish I could see the stars better from here."

I glanced up at the sky, but the city's bright lights blocked out many of the stars.

"My mum and I used to look out at the stars when I was younger. We used to sit on a blanket and drink hot chocolate," she said, smiling at the thought, but the smile faded when she looked at me. "Sorry, I shouldn't be telling you this."

"Not," I said quickly. "No, I don't mind at all. So, used to do?"

"She passed away last year."

"Oh gosh, I'm sorry," I sputtered out.

_I'm such a jerk, _I thought. _She isn't going to want to talk to me again. _

"No, it's ok. You couldn't have known. I have a lot of great memories of her."

I nodded, unsure of what to say back. We walked in silence. I kept trying to think of something to say to her to start up conversations, but anything that came to mind would sound stupid. We made our way to an apartment building. She stopped and turned to look at me.

"Thank you for dinner and walking me home," she said hesitantly.

"You're welcome," I said smiling at her.

I wanted to take her in my arms, just to feel her body against mine. I wanted to ask her to have dinner with me tomorrow night, but I couldn't scare her away.

"I'll see you on Monday?" Brianna asked.

I nodded at her, letting her go but wishing I didn't have to. She gave me one last smile before turning to go into her building. A plan formed in my mind, and I hoped it wouldn't be the last time I would walk her home.

**Brianna's point of view:**

I walked into my flat feeling giddy. I knew that I was most likely reading way too much in our dinner, but I couldn't help but feel happy from the time I had spent with Blaise. We had dinner and good conversation, which was something more than I thought, would ever happen. On top of that, he paid for dinner and walked me home. I could still feel the spot where he had placed his hand on my lower back. I wished Rayne was home so I could talk to her about it. I glanced at the clock. I knew it was too early for her to be home yet.

I got ready for bed and curled up on the couch to read a book. I jolted awake when I heard the door open and close. I glanced at the clock: four in the morning. A light turned on which caused me to blink as the light blinded me.

"Rayne?" I asked, my voice thick with sleep.

"Who else?" she whispered.

She stood over me with a wide smile on her face.

"So I'm guessing you were at Draco's," I said, stating the obvious.

"Of course," she said, smiling.

"So … how was it?"

"Great," she said, sitting on the couch net to me. "We went to dinner and he invited me over for drinks at his place. We ended up talking for hours."

"And?"

"And what?"

"You went over to his house and nothing else happened?"

"No." Her voice was firm before it turned into a whisper. "He's different, Brianna."

"You're sure?"

"I am." The smile on her face convinced me of that.

"I'm happy for you." I leaned in, giving her a hug.

"So what did you do tonight? I hope you didn't spend your night at home."

I felt a blush creep across my cheeks.

"I … um didn't."

"What happened?" Rayne ask curiously.

"Blaise and I ran into each other at the Leaky Cauldron," I said slowly. "We ended up having dinner together and he walked me home."

"Aare you serious?" she shrieked.

"I am." I smiled and bit my lip.

"Hopefully he'll ask you out on another date."

"It wasn't a date." I could feel the heat rise to my cheeks.

"Sounds like it to me."

"Doesn't the man have to ask you before it's considered a date?"

"No," she said, shaking her head.

"Yeah, I'm sure that is how he saw it," I said sarcastically. "He stumbled across his dorky, Hufflepuff coworker and had a date with her."

"Don't talk about my best friend like that," she said frowning at me. "I bet he asks you out on a proper date soon though."

"Rayne, please," I whispered. "Don't get my hopes up."

"I'm sorry, hun," she said, placing her hand on mine. "You deserve to dream."

"I've been doing that for years and it hasn't gotten me anywhere," I said, standing up. "I had better get to bed."

"Alright," she said, looking a little down. "I'll see you in the morning."

"Night," I said with a wave of my hand.

I closed my bedroom door after me. My thoughts ran over what Rayne had said. Maybe she was right, I could allow myself to dream.

Monday came too quickly and not soon enough. I felt tired and groggy, but my mood brightened as soon as Blaise walked in. He flashed me a smile, and I felt a blush creep over my face. Throughout the week we ended up eating lunch together and having quiet discussions. We found many common interests, including Quidditch and traveling. I found our discussions the highlight of my day. I was pleased to find us becoming friends rather than coworkers.

On Friday, I found myself walking with Blaise as we headed towards the Apparation point.

"I have two Quidditch tickets for a game tomorrow night," Blaise said out of the blue.

"Okay," I said slowly and looked up at him.

He cleared his throat and rubbed the back of his neck.

"I want to know if you'd like to go with me."

"I'd really like that." I felt a huge smile cross my face.

We arranged to meet at the Leaky Cauldron to eat before going to the game. I went home that night floating on air.

**Blaise's point of view:**

I had actually done it. I had finally asked her out. I had, at least in the back of my mind, always been thinking of taking her out. Ever since we had dinner last week, I had been thinking about it nonstop, and it didn't help that Draco had encouraged me to do so. I couldn't stop thinking about her, about being with her. So, I finally stepped out on a ledge and asked her out.

A smile crossed my lips as I went to my house. Usually, I hated coming home alone to my great, big house that I had inherited, but for once I felt happy.

The next day passed painfully slowly. I wanted to get to the Leaky Cauldron, but I knew it would be too early for me to go now. I tried to distract myself from the hours passing by slowly, and it worked somewhat. Finally, it was time for me to meet Brianna. After checking my appearance one last time, I arrived to the Leaky Cauldron. My eyes scanned the dark bar and restaurant, and I didn't see Brianna yet.

I sat at a table in the corner while my eyes scanned for her. My eyes finally found her when she walked in through the door, while her eyes scanned the crowd. My mouth went dry when I saw what she was wearing. At work, she wore modest robes over Muggle clothing, but tonight she wore Muggle clothes that clung to her curves without being to revealing. After getting over my moment of surprise, I stood so that she would see me.

A timid smile crossed Brianna's face as she started maneuvering past people. When she reached me, I couldn't help but pull her into a hug.

"You look amazing," I whispered.

"Thank you, Blaise," she said shyly to me when we pulled away.

We sat and ordered our food. We talked the entire time (mostly about the Quidditch season) and lost track of time, which nearly caused us to be late to the game. When the tow of us arrived at the game, I grabbed her hand. Her hand felt so tiny in mine, and I loved the feel. Our seats were great; we could see all of the players. Brianna and I chatted during the game. Well, she mainly watched the game while I watched her talk adamantly about it.

She was slowly opening up to me more and more as we got to know each other. I loved how her eyes would light up while telling me a story. I couldn't get enough of her, and I hoped tonight would be the start of something amazing for us.

**Brianna's point of view:**

I felt as if I was floating as Blaise and I walked home. He held my hand, and I felt completely safe. As we got closer to my flat, I wondered if it would be alright to invite him in for something to drink. I didn't want this night to end. We arrived at the door to my building, and I hesitated.

I looked up to his face, and I swallowed hard. The look on his face was so intense. I felt flustered, so I looked down. I felt his fingers under my chin, and my eyes found his face again. He was closer to me than I thought he would be. As he continued to draw closer, my eyes fluttered shut. I then felt his lips press against mine.

He was so warm and soft. I started to move my lips against his. My hands moved to his chest when his arms made their way around me. Our kisses were slow, and it left me feelings lightheaded. He gave me one last, lingering kiss before he broke away. My eyes fluttered open, and I couldn't believe that a kiss could leave me feeling this disorientated.

I looked into Blaise's warm brown eyes. He smiled at me, and this caused me to blush.

"I've wanted to kiss you for ages now," he said in a husky voice.

"You have?" I asked in surprise.

"I've liked you for a long time," he confessed.

He then leaned in and kissed me again. We kissed for several minutes before we said goodnight. As I got ready for bed, I floated on air. I didn't come down for some time.

**Blaise's point of view:**

My relationship with Brianna developed over the months. I knew I was in love with her after the first month of dating. I actually had plans to ask her to marry me tonight, and I felt nervous. I knew I was going to spend the rest of my life with her, but I wondered if I was asking her too soon. I was currently drinking a beer with Draco Malfoy in The Three Broomsticks while listening to a Quidditch game on the wireless. He was talking, but I couldn't focus on what he saying, I was that distracted.

I felt so nervous. What if I messed things up? What if she said no and things were just temporary between us. I was so scared that I would mess this whole thing up.

The afternoon went by in a blur, and before I knew it I was standing in front of Brianna's doorway. She opened when I knocked, and I gave her a kiss. She chatted quietly as we walked to the Apparation point. I loved this side of her. Before we started dating and really getting to know each other, Brianna was quiet and shy, but as we got to know each other she became more talkative. I loved that she felt comfortable enough with me that she could open herself up fully to me.

I took her hand and I swallowed hard. I tried to push my doubts out of my mind. I was so nervous that she would say no.

"Blaise?" Brianna asked as she stopped walking.

"Yeah?" I looked down at her.

"Are you alright?" I've asked you a question twice now."

"Oh, I was just thinking about something. What did you want to ask me?"

"I wanted to know where you are taking me tonight."

"You know it's a surprise," I said with a grin.

She had been hounding me all week about our mystery date. I had decided to take her on a late night picnic, at a park I had found. I wanted to take her to look at the stars like her mum had done. I kissed her knuckles as she glared at me. She was annoyed that I wouldn't tell her where we were going tonight.

Once we reached that Apparation point, I put my arm around her waist. I Apparated us to the park, and I watched Brianna's expression closely as she took in our surroundings.

"Where are we?" she asked.

"In a park just outside of London, and I hoped we could have a picnic and look at the stars."

She looked down at her feet, and my heart stopped. She hated it, and I started kicking myself mentally.

"Brianna?" I asked.

She didn't move so I put my fingers under her chin, forcing her to look up at me. The bottom of my stomach feel out as large tears fell down her face. I hugged her tightly.

"I'm sorry," I said. "I'm so, so sorry. I shouldn't have brought you …"

"Blaise," she said, stopping me in my tracks.

She stood on her toes to kiss me.

"I love it," she said. "I'm just so happy and surprised that you remembered something like that."

She kissed me again before we moved to the blanket that I hid near a tree. I spread out the blanket and we started to eat the food I had prepared. After we finished, Brianna leaned against my chest while we watched the sun go down. When it became dark, we packed away the food and laid out on the blanket. I felt her put her hand into mine, and I squeezed her hand. She had a huge smile on her face while her eyes searched the night sky. I put my free hand in my pocket, and I felt the box that I bought two weeks ago.

_I can do this, _I told myself.

My eyes drifted over Brianna's face and smiled. She looked completely happy as she gazed at the stars. She noticed me staring, and she turned to give me a questioning look.

"You're so beautiful," I whispered.

She blushed and lowered her eyes. I propped myself onto my elbow as Brianna looked back up to me.

"Thank you for the wonderful surprise, Blaise," she said.

"You're welcome, love," I replied.

I cupped her cheek and kissed her. I took my time kissing her soft, full lips before I broke away.

"I actually wanted to talk to you about something tonight," I said. My mouth went dry.

"Okay," she said.

"I knew after a month after we started daring that I wanted to ask you this question." I sat up and pulled out the box from my pocket. My heart was beating so hard, I thought that it would beat out of my chest.

"Blaise?" Brianna asked as she also sat up.

"Will you marry me, Brianna?"

Her hand flew up to her mouth as I opened the box. Tears filled her eyes.

"Yes," she managed to choke out through her tears.

I put the ring on her finger.

"I love you, Brianna."

"Oh, I love you too," she said, looking up at me.

I kissed away her tears, before I made a trail of kisses to her mouth. I couldn't be a happier man.

**Three years later, Brianna's point of view;**

I stared down at the little bundle that the nurse placed in my arms. I studied the face of my little boy, and I smiled. He looked just like his father with a lighter skin tone. He was perfect.

"What's his name?" the Healer asked.

"Chase Matthew Zabini," I said quietly, not taking my eyes off of my first born.

I felt Blaise move to the bed beside me, and I leaned against him.

"He's so beautiful, Blaise," I whispered.

I looked at Blaise, who had a look of awe on his face.

"Do you want to hold him?" I asked.

Blaise nodded, and I placed his son in his arms. My eyes filled with tears as I watched my husband holding our son. My tears spilled over as I watched the two things I loved more than anything eles in the world.

"You alright, babe?" he asked.

"Yeah," I said as I brushed away my tears. "I'm just happy."

I put my head on Blaise's shoulder as Chase opened his eyes and blinked up at his father.

"He looks just like you," I said.

"It's weird," Blaise admitted.

Chase grabbed my finger, as he gave us a serious look.

I leaned up to give him a kiss. Years ago, I couldn't have imagined how my life would've turned out. Now I was married to my best friend, and we had a beautiful son together. Rayne and Draco had also gotten married, and are expecting their first baby. We decided that the couple would be godparents to Chase.

"I love you, Brianna," Blaise said.

"I love you too."

I couldn't ask for a happier ending.

**Please review!**


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